Born of Vengeance Read online

  Laughing, Thia moved to kiss Thraix's cheek. "Basha Tray! How's Sphinx?"

  "Growing way too fast for my peace of mind."

  "Please! He's barely two months old." Jullien shook his head. "I don't want to hear it, since my girls are now school age. I swear, I blinked and they're ready to start piloting lessons."

  "They're not quite that old." Thraix shoved at Jullien. "And speaking of babies, Thia ... have you heard Dagger's latest news?"

  "About Vidar?" she asked. Which made sense since Vidar was Jullien's youngest child.

  Chayden snorted. "Sort of."

  She screwed her face up at his cryptic response. "What's that mean?"

  Jullien turned bright red as Thraix answered for him. "He's going to have a little brother."

  "Pardon?" She gaped.

  Jullien cleared his throat as he shifted uncomfortably. "Ushara's pregnant again."

  Both of Thia's eyebrows shot up. Not that he blamed her. He'd had the same reaction when Ushara had told him. While he'd been thrilled with the news and was overjoyed to have another baby on the way, he was worried about his wife's health.

  But it was what Ushara had wanted. And she'd insisted that she was fine to be pregnant so soon again after Vidar's birth. He, however, was terrified for her.

  "Vidar's not even on solid food, is he?" she asked.

  Starting the ship, Jullien sighed and rubbed at his forehead. "No. We were using birth control, but..."

  "Only abstinence is one hundred percent foolproof, Andarion. Didn't you learn anything useful in school?" Thraix laughed. "We've all been giving Jules hell over it. Feel free to pile on with us."

  She tsked at them. "I think it's sweet. Besides, it's not his fault. Everyone knows that Andarions redefine the term 'fertile.'" Winking, she moved to hug Jullien in his chair. "Congratulations, Basha. I always wanted to have siblings close to my own age. Can't wait to meet the newest addition."

  A dark shadow fell behind Thraix's eyes at her innocent comment. Jullien felt for the man. Thraix's siblings had all been killed during the hostile war that had left his entire race on the brink of extinction.

  But Thia had no idea, since it was something Thraix only spoke about whenever he was extremely drunk, or his wife pried details out of his wounded soul.

  Chayden flashed his famous cocky grin. "I still say that if Thraix is right and this one's a boy, too, we ought to revoke Dagger's naming privileges. Vidarri Samari." He choked. "Poor kid's going to strangle you the day he realizes his name's a nursery rhyme."

  Jullien glared at him. "Shut it, Qill. Least we can pronounce his name. What was your last name again? Any Who Yippee Yah?"

  "Ah-nah-WAH-yah," Chayden pronounced slowly and in a surly tone, since he took issue with the fact that no one off his home world knew how to spell or say his name. "You're such an ass."

  Yes, he was. Chayden should have never let him know he had a weakness when it came to his own name. Jullien was a little brother, after all. Irritating others came with that birthright.

  Laughing, he glanced at his niece. "If you'll strap in, we'll launch."

  Thia ran so fast to her seat that Jullien felt bad for his brother. He prayed his own children were never so eager to leave his company. While Vas's bitching about being left behind whenever Jullien deemed a mission too dangerous for him could wear thin at times, he'd take that over Thia's eager break for freedom any day.

  *

  Hours later, Jullien docked them on the Cyperian StarStation that was the Gorturnum home base. He took a minute to marvel at the fact that here on this remote outpost of Tavali outlaws and pirates lay the only true home he'd ever known. Yeah, he'd grown up in palaces, but none of them had ever been nearly as beautiful as this metal-and-glass structure that floated serenely far away from the court life he'd been groomed for.

  This fabricated structure placed here by Tavali pirates centuries ago was truly the only peace he'd ever known. Best of all, this was where his real family was waiting.

  The sight of their eager faces in the North Bay brought a smile to his lips and a deep warmth to his heart. Even though he'd been flying missions from here for years, he could always count on Ushara to greet him with their children and extended relatives in tow. The only times she missed was when she was with him or some intergalactic threat kept her locked in her office. Then her relatives would be here in her stead, welcoming him as if he were their real son.

  After a lifetime of suffering a family that didn't care where he was concerned, he still couldn't believe this was real. That she was really his wife. She had no idea how much it meant to him to see all of them there.

  Or maybe she did.

  Either way, her thoughtfulness was just one of many reasons he loved her and couldn't imagine returning to a life where she wasn't the best part of his day.

  As soon as they had everything locked down, he opened the ramp and cleared Chayden and Thraix to leave.

  Thraix used his Trisani powers to teleport from the ship to where his wife and son were waiting next to Jullien's.

  Thia gaped at him. "I didn't think the Trisani used their powers around others."

  Jullien smiled. "Normally they don't. But we're all family here. And if I had that particular set of skills, I'd use them to get to my wife and kids, too."

  Chayden grabbed her gear to carry it for her. "Take it to your place?" he asked Jullien.

  "Yeah. Thanks."

  Thia pouted. "Is there any chance I could get my own apartment or flat?"

  Jullien burst out laughing. "Remember, I make your paka look careless. I won't even let Vas live alone."

  "Am I going to regret this?"

  "Probably," Jullien snorted. "Most beings regret being around me, sooner rather than later." He winked at her. "But as my new Crew Cock, I own you and am responsible for everything you do."

  Chayden shook his head. "Don't take it personally. Your uncle's insane."

  Jullien snorted. "You know, Psycho Bunny, she's not the one you need to worry about taking that personally. I'm the one who's currently armed."

  "Yeah, but you love me."

  Jullien rolled his eyes as he left the ship and was swarmed by his daughters and nieces. He knelt on the ground so that they could each have a turn at hugging him.

  Thia hesitated at the sight of the banners that welcomed her to their Nation.

  Jullien watched her while he returned jubilant hugs and kisses. He stood up to kiss Ushara and take his infant son from her arms so that she could greet Thia.

  Thraix's wife--Ushara's youngest sister, Mary--came over to him. "You want me to babysit while you get Thia settled?"

  Jullien wrinkled his nose at her. "Appreciate the offer, kisa, but I haven't seen my boys or girls in days." He cradled Vidar under his chin so that he could hold him with one arm while he cupped his daughter Mira's head with his hand. Any time he returned, Mira always clung to his leg for two to three days. It was amazing to him how well he'd learned to walk with her as a symbiotic life form attached there. She was even standing on his boot so that she could stay in place while he moved.

  Mary rose up on her toes to give him a kiss. "Love you, drey. Remember that I offered." She flounced off to return to Thraix, who was as eager to get her home as Jullien was to be alone with Ushara.

  But that would be hours away--after the kids were all settled.

  His adoptive mother, Unira, approached, laughing. "Want me to hold Vidar for you, precious?"

  He cracked a shy smile. "Nah, Mata. You know I live for this."

  Rubbing his back, his mother kissed his cheek, then went to greet Thia and welcome her to their family. As a high priestess, she had the warmest heart of anyone Jullien had ever met.

  Except maybe Ushara.

  As soon as Unira spoke to her, tears welled in Thia's eyes. An instant later, she caught a sob and dashed off toward the work area.

  Stunned, the entire crowd turned to stare at him like he'd been the cause of it.

  Every bit as surprised, Jullien finally handed his son to his mother, then picked up Mira. "Paka needs to see to Thia, bug. Can you stay with your mum for a minute?"

  "Okies, Paka."

  Ushara bit her lip. "Should I go?"

  "I'd love to toss this at you, but I better do it since I'm her blood basha. Be right back."

  He used his extrasensory powers to find Thia inside the ladies' room. Her sobs would have been evident even without his heightened Andarion hearing.

  Shit. It figured she'd find the one place he couldn't follow.

  Clearing his throat, he knocked on the door. "Thia?"

  The sobs lowered, but remained constant.

  Jullien sighed in irritation. "If anyone other than my niece is in there, speak up, 'cause I'm coming in!"

  He paused for an answer, then reached for the controls. Before he could open it, Thia did.

  Her eyes glistened as her lips quivered. Damn, he'd never been able to stand seeing a female cry. Cupping her cheek, he gently wiped her tears away. "You miss your paka?"

  With a ragged breath, she shook her head. "Sorry, Basha. I just ... I wasn't expecting them to be so nice and welcoming."

  He laughed at her words. "Yeah, the one thing about the Altaans ... anything worth doing is worth overdoing. You want me to scatter them?"

  Sniffing, she licked her lips before she spoke again. "Can I ask you something? Will you be honest?"

  Almost afraid of that question, he nodded. "You can ask anything. But I warn you that I'm terribly blunt. Shara gets onto me all the time for it."

  "I'm good with that. My dad refuses to answer most questions. It's like interrogating a hostile war criminal. He just stares at me like an alien lifeform ... and my stepmother is so polite it's irritating. I swear she dances away from topics she doesn't like even better than she dances onstage."

  "Well, no worries there. I definitely don't fall into that latter category. No one has ever called me polite."

  Wiping at her eyes, she offered him a bashful smile. "I know some of the background with you and my grandmother. And Aunt Tylie and Grandpa Aros. But I wanted to know if you ever felt out of place while you lived with them?"

  "Only every minute of every single day."

  Sniffing, she dabbed more at her eyes. "That's why I wanted to come stay with you. You're the only one who doesn't tell me how lucky I am and how great my parents are. That I should show more gratitude toward them all. I mean, I know they love me, and they are great most of the time, but I'm tired of being treated like I'm some fragile object that they're afraid is going to crack if they say or do the wrong thing. I just want to find someplace where I belong."

  "I can definitely relate to that. And I promise you, no one here will treat you like you're fragile. Tavali pull their own weight."

  To his further shock, she walked herself into his arms. "Thank you for letting me come here. I hope I didn't offend them."

  "Nah, trust me, precious, that wasn't offensive. They tolerate my contentious ass and I'm hard to get along with on my best days."

  She laughed. "You really don't mind training me?"

  "We're family, Thia. You'll always be welcomed wherever I am. And once you're Tavali, you'll never be without a home."

  ALSO BY SHERRILYN KENYON

  THE DARK-HUNTERS

  Night Pleasures

  Night Embrace

  Dance with the Devil

  Kiss of the Night

  Night Play

  Seize the Night

  Sins of the Night

  Unleash the Night

  Dark Side of the Moon

  The Dream-Hunter

  Devil May Cry

  Upon the Midnight Clear

  Dream Chaser

  Acheron

  One Silent Night

  Dream Warrior

  Bad Moon Rising

  No Mercy

  Retribution

  The Guardian

  The Dark-Hunter Companion

  Time Untime

  Styxx

  Dark Bites

  Son of No One

  Dragonbane

  Dragonmark

  THE LEAGUE

  Born of Night

  Born of Fire

  Born of Ice

  Born of Fury

  Born of Defiance

  Born of Betrayal

  Born of Legend

  CHRONICLES OF NICK

  Infinity

  Invincible

  Infamous

  Inferno

  Illusion

  Instinct

  Invision

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon is a regular in the #1 spot. This extraordinary bestseller continues to top every genre in which she writes, including manga and graphic novels. More than 70 million copies of her books are in print in more than one hundred countries. Her current series include The Dark-Hunters(r), The League(r), Deadman's CrossTM, Chronicles of Nick(r), HellchasersTM, Mikro ChasersTM, and The Lords of Avalon(r). Her Chronicles of Nick(r) and Dark-Hunters(r) series are soon to be major motion pictures. You can sign up for email updates here.

  Thank you for buying this

  St. Martin's Press ebook.

  To receive special offers, bonus content,

  and info on new releases and other great reads,

  sign up for our newsletters.

  Or visit us online at

  us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup

  For email updates on the author, click here.

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Epilogue

  Bonus Story

  Also by Sherrilyn Kenyon

  About the Author

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

  BORN OF VENGEANCE. Copyright (c) 2017 by Sherrilyn Kenyon. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  www.stmartins.com

  Cover by Ervin Serrano

  Cover photographs: Sword illustration by Kit Rae; face (c) Alessandro Guerriero; shirt (c) Good Brigade/Offset The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

  ISBN 978-1-250-08275-6 (hardcover) ISBN 978-1-25008283-1 (e-book) e-ISBN 9781250082831

  Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact your local bookseller or the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].

  First Edition: February 2017

 

 

 

-->